Minnesota Sports Memories: Brian Dunn

John Schott, American, born 1944, Untitled (from the series Northfield Middle School), 2011. Archival inkjet print. Courtesy of John Schott.

“I love being in gyms, watching my sons play basketball. It is my oasis. Whether it’s the gym at Benilde St. Margaret’s or the sweltering hot gyms of Vegas in August watching my son play AAU, as I watch, I’m struck by the purity of the game. I’m struck by how the boys compete, deal with the pressures of winning and losing, and what it means to be a team. I love the camaraderie of sitting in the stands, next to policemen, teachers, doctors, Democrats, Republicans, and Independents, because the one thing we all have in common is being parents. And all of us in those bleachers profoundly care about how our sons answer the inevitable call of the game—the ups and downs—the tests, big and small, that are intrinsically part of the game. We also universally wonder, ‘How could the ref have blown that call with my son?’ Watching it all play out, and seeing my boys learn lessons that will serve them well in life is deeply precious to me, and captures the notion of savoring every moment.”